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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

,W. F.- DURPEE. DEVICE FOR. GLAMPING AND HOLDING PLATES IN METAL SHEARING v MACHINES.

,178.. v Patented June 27', 1882.

WE'TNES'S UNITED STATES WILLIAM F. DURFEE, OF BRIDGEPORT, GONNECTIGUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE I PATENT OFFICE.

WHEELER & WILSON MANUFAOTURING'COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

DEVICE FOR CLAM PING AND HO'LDlIlG PLATES IN METAL-SHEARING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 260,178, dated June 27, 1882. I

Application filed November 17, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. DURFEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, inthe county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery for Holding Metal while it is being operated upon by Shears or other Cutting Mechanism, of which the following, together with the accompanying drawings, forms the specification.

Referring to-said drawings, Figure 1 represents an elevation of my improved mechanism, wherein the cutting-dies E and F are sepa-. rated to the full extent to receive the metal M, on which they are to operate. Fig. 2 shows the same parts in the positions they occupy when the cutting-dies are in contact with the metal M. Fig. 3 is another view of the same, showing the position of parts after the metal M has been severed. Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 1, wherein the upper cutter, E, and its holder A are not shown. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of Fig. 3, taken irregularly on the line it as. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the sliding block 19 detached, and illustrates the construction thereof. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of Fig. 2, taken on the line 1 y. Fig. 8 is a perspective .view of the bifurcated lever L detached.

The operation of my improved mechanism is substantially as follows, to wit: In Fig. 1 the metal M to be cut is represented as lying upon the lower cutting-die, F, of a cutting-press (said die being shown within its holder G by broken lines in Figs. 1, 2, and 3) in proper position to be acted upon by the upper cuttingdie, E, which, descending, allows the upper pressure-finger, D, to follow it in obedience to the action of the spring S, transmitted through the plates 12 1), blocks 19 p, lever L,'and rod H, to which rod the said pressure-finger D is rigidly attached, the upper extremity of said rod H being free to pass through a projecting arm, a, attached to the gate A of a cutting-press, which gate carries the upper cutting-die, E, aforesaid. While the upper pressure-finger, D, is descending, the lower pressure-finger, O, is ascending from the same cause (the action of the spring S) as produced the descent of the upper pressure-finger, the finger 0 having a similar connection to the spring aforesaid by (No model.)

means of the rod I, (to which the finger O is attached,) lever. L, &c., as is provided for the aforesaid upper pressure-finger, D. Thelever L aforesaid is shown in perspective by Fig. 8.

it is provided with two sliding blocks, 6 c, which are free to move in, the direction of the length of the lever, and they carry the pins 0'0, to which are attached respectively the lower ends of the vertical rods H and I,

these rods being guided in holes through the top, and the projections at the bottom of the lower die-holder, G, pass freely through the base or frame B of the cuttingpress. (See Fig. 2.) The lever L is bifurcated at its right- 6 hand extremity, and the end of each branch thereof carries a sliding block, porp, as shown ment. It will be seen that by the peculiar 7 construction and arrangement of the lever L, blocks 10 19, plates 1) b, and rod It the tension of the spring S may be varied at pleasure by turning the rod It (whose lower extremity screws into and through the movable block J,

Fig. 2, on whose upper surface the lower end of the spring S rests) by means of a wrench applied to its upper end, which is formed for the purpose. 'When the upper die, E, has

made so much of its downward movement as to cause it to come in contact with the upper surface of the metal M, then, as a result of the movements of the two pressure-fingers Band C, hereinbefore described, they will be respectively in contact with the upper and under sur- 0 faces of the metal M, but will not be exactly opposite one another, though their adjacent edges will lie in the same vertical plane--viz., the plane in which the metal is to be divided bythe further descent of the upper die, E, 5

which in its descent seversthe metal, and at the same timeconfines the piece cutoff between the under side of the die E and the top of the lower pressure-finger, G, which pressure-finger is forced downward by the die aforesaid, and

causes the lever L (on which the vertical rod I acts) to change its center of motion from the stationary fulcrum at the point k to the pin 0, as shown in Fig. 3, thus compressing the spring S and causing an increased pressure upon the metal remaining under the upper pressurefinger, D.

The effect of the operations herein described is to cause both the piece cut off from the rod of metal M and the end of the rod itself to remain straight, and also to prevent the tendency of the metal to overturn and draw between the adjacent vertical faces of the cutting-dies E and F.

Immediately after completing its downward movement the upper cutter, E, starts on its upward course, and when it has arrived in the position shown by Fig. 2 the arm a comes in contact with the under side of the nut g and lifts the rod H and pressure-finger I), thus compressing the spring S, and by causing the lever L to turn about the fulcrum 7: it draws the lower pressure-finger, C, downward. At the conclusion of the upward movement of the upperdie, E, afl'airs arein theposition represented in Fig. 1, at which time the piece of metal M can be adjusted for a new operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for holding and cutting metals, the combination, with the verticallyreciprocating cutter-holder A and lower dieholder, G, of the rods H I, having clampingfingers D 0, arranged to bear upon the opposite sides of the metal to be out, and the lever L, connected to the lower ends of the said rods and adapted to operate the same for the purpose of clamping and nnclamping the metal, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for holding, metal while being out, the combination of the die-holders A G, the rods H I, having clamping-fingers O D, the bifurcated lever L, connected to the lower ends of said rods and provided with sliding blocks 11 p and e e, the latter having pins 0 0, the rod It, having circular plates b b, and the spring S, all arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. DURFE E.

Witnesses:

ALBERT R. LAGEY, GEORGE TERRY. 

